1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to electronic entertainment systems, and more particularly to a system and method for saving game data.
2. Background of the Invention
In electronic entertainment systems such as gaming systems, a user often interacts with a game program, or electronic game, that is quite complex. Many electronic games require large amounts of time to complete. Often a user does not complete such a game in one sitting, but rather completes the game over several different gaming sessions. In some instances, it may take a user weeks or even months to complete a game.
In order for a user to complete a game over a long period of time, the state of the game should be saved before the end of each gaming session. Instruction manuals often advise users to save the state of the game at various points during game play. In other games, graphical prompts advise users to save the state of the game at various points during play. In some games, a user must manually save the state of the game, and may be prompted to do so at various intervals in the game. These interruptions can be disruptive to a user. Further, a user may forget to save a gaming session at times, thus resulting in the loss of valuable game data.
Moreover, when game or other data is saved the process does not always work perfectly. The game data that is saved might be incomplete, corrupted or the like. This problem might occur, for example, if someone removes a memory card on which the game data is to be saved during the saving process. This problem might occur under other circumstances as well.
The invention provides in various embodiments a system and method for automatically (or manually) saving game data.
A method according to one embodiment of the invention comprises saving two copies of data representing a state of the game to a storage medium, saving a new copy of data representing a state of the game to the storage medium such that one of the two copies is overwritten, checking the new copy of data to determine whether the new copy of data is satisfactory, saving, if the new copy of data is satisfactory, another new copy of data to the storage medium such that the other of the two copies is overwritten, and maintaining, if the new copy of the data is unsatisfactory, the other of the two copies of data on the storage medium.
A system according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a first module configured to save two copies of data representing a state of the game to a storage medium, a second module configured to save a new copy of data representing a state of the game to the storage medium such that one of the two copies is overwritten, a third module configured to check the new copy of data to determine whether the new copy of data is satisfactory, a fourth module configured to save, if the new copy of data is satisfactory, another new copy of data to the storage medium such that the other of the two copies is overwritten, and a fifth module configured to maintain, if the new copy of the data is unsatisfactory, the other of the two copies of data on the storage medium.